Delusional Illusions
by S-Chrome
Summary: Power? Prestige? Popularity? Romance? Teen Angst? Tucker Phantom? Only in dreams.
1. Chapter 1

Delusional Illusions  
By S-Chrome

Disclaimer: Butch Hartman. He's made the characters, and now _they're_ cancelling them. Ironic, no? Well, what isn't ironic is that none of these characters belong to me.

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_**Exhibit A - Tucker Phantom... Reloaded.** _

It's good to know that you're the best that's around... Heck, it's good to be the best in the business. No, check that... It's good to be the best in the world... and I'm doing it... Tucker-style!

These were the thoughts of one Tucker Foley as he wrapped up Desiree in the Foley Thermos. Foley Thermos? That's right.. Bwoy,The Foley Thermos.

It was no question that in these parts, Tucker Foley was the man.

"Tucker!" A group of three or four attractive ladies yelled. "We love you!"

Tucker flashed them his trademark grin.

"And Tucker loves you too."

The female fans almost fainted as Tucker continued to survey the quite quiet town of Amity Park.

You see, around here, he wasn't just a techno-geek that you used to know. He was a techno-geek with ghostly powers and wicked-cool skills. He was loved and respected by all. He saved the day on almost a daily basis. The girls admired and loved him like the teen idol that he was. Why, in this state of reality, he was the coolest thing this side of the other side of the pillow.

Yep... Things were never as what they seemed to be.

Why he was so cool, after finishing off Skulker, Technus, and Plasmius at the same time for the third time that week, his very own theme song would play.

Now you _know _that you're something if you have your own damn theme song.

"Danny-Boy!" He called to his sidekick, Danny Phantom. "Strike up the band!"

And strike up the band he did... Tucker began to snap his fingers as his 'super-cool' theme began to play.

* * *

_Who's that handsome boy  
That the lovely ladies just can't avoid?  
(Tuck!)  
You're damn right... _

Who is the man  
That would risk his neck for his main man, Dan?  
(Tuck!)  
Can you dig it?

Who's the cat that won't cop out  
Doesn't know when to shut his mouth?  
(Tuck!)  
Right on!

You see this cat Foley is a bad Mother Tuck--  
(Shut your mouth!)  
But I'm talkin' about Tuck!  
(Then we can dig it!)

He's a complicated man  
But no one understands him but his woman  
Who happen to be Valerie, and Star, and Jazz and Paulina at the same tiiiiime!  
(Tucker Foley!)

_

* * *

_

_RIIIIIIIIIIIIING!_

"Tucker? Tuck? Class is over..."

"Tuck-ER!"

"I'm a BAD MOTHER-TUCKER!"

Wait a cotton-pickin...

Something told him that he wasn't surveying Amity Park. He took a look at his surroundings, it was fairly obvious that the teen was in school, a victim of daydreaming. The bell had long since rung as he saw that no one was in the classroom, save for Sam and Danny, who were obviously trying to wake him.

"Uh, Tuck," His best friend Danny Fenton said. "You were daydreaming."

"As usual," An unimpressed Sam added.

"Well ex-key-use me if my dreams happen to be better than reality," Tucker snapped. He grabbed his belongings and stormed out of the already vacant classroom. Both Danny & Sam exchanged glances.

"Must've been a good dream," The ghost boy reasoned.

"He's always in another world, how good could it have possibly been?"

"I don't know... Maybe he was dreaming about you," He said with a wry grin.

The goth girl nearly went pale at the very thought of it. Well... Pale-r than usual.

"Ick," She simply said. "Now I won't be able to sleep for days. Thanks a lot, Danny." She scolded in jest.

"Anytime," He said with a wink.

They made their way to History class just a few seconds before the bell rung.

The raven-haired girl took her usual seat behind Danny. The history teacher began to drone on endlessly about silly stuf... Like the War of 1812. As the minutes meandered, the goth girl found it increasingly harder to stay awake at this point. Heck, she was a straight-A student, she was allowed to have a couple of off days... Unlike some people.

Some people like Danny.

She looked ahead to the black-haired boy in question. He was having his own difficulties, often nodding off in between slumber and drowsiness. She cracked a think smile as Mr. Sissler (Boring history teacher), scolded the boy for not paying any attention. Despite that, she did feel a bit sorry for Danny. He was constantly out saving Amity Park as Danny Phantom, his alter ego. He almost never got much rest, as the ghosts would usually come out at night.

Besides, he looked awfully cute while he was sleeping...

In fact, he was cute all the time in her book.

The angsty teen let her chin rest in the palm of her hand. Why did he have to be so clueless sometimes? He would absolutely throw himself at girls like Paulina & Valerie. Why couldn't he ever sneak a glance in her direction for once? It was so darn frustrating. She just didn't have it in her to make it known to Danny how she felt, which made it all the more difficult, since Danny wasn't exactly what you would call perceptive, plus, she herself tried to not to show much notice, despite the fact she was...

She laid her head on the flat desk. The goth girl would get confused and even depressed when she thought about the half-ghost boy this way. She wanted things to change, and soon.

"Hey, Sam?"

The raven-haired girl her head off the desk to see who called her name.

It was Danny, who had a slightly look of concern.

"You were sleeping, the period's over."

She blushed a bit. Sam wasn't exactly the daydreaming type. That was more of a Tucker thing.

"Heh, who's daydreaming now, as usual?" Came the sarcastic repartee of said techno-geek.

She was just about to rattle off a snippy remark, when.

"Ignore him, Sam," Danny urged, his voicesurprisingly soothing.

The trio walked out of class. It was fourth period, thus it was time for Tuck & Danny to hit Fizz-Ed. Or... Phys. Ed.

"Later, dreamer," The spectacled boy teased.

Once again, Sam's eyes narrowed toward the retreating Tucker. He just wasn't going to let it go, was he?

"I'll see you later, Sam," Danny said. Sam gave the boy a friendly wave as he disappeared down the intersecting hallway. Sam was on her way to her next class, Astronomy. Sure, it was a lot of guesses on how the universe came to be, but a credit was credit.

Her quiet walk was interrupted by fast-moving footsteps coming from behind her.

Danny? Again?

"D-Danny? What's up?"

"I-I almost forgot something," He said. "I wanted to talk to you about s-something... and..."

He was stopped by the ringing of the late bell.

"Man, I'm late. Can you meet me at the back staircase at the end of the day."

"Yeah, I guess."

"It's really important, so can you... come alone?"

"Sure," Sam replied, her voice taking a nervous turn.

"Alright... Thanks, Sam," The halfa said. He tore back down the hallway in the opposite direction, narrowly missing a few ongoing students.

She stood there, a quizzical look on her face. _Come alone, at the back staircase? _

_She wasexcited and scared to death at the same time._

Sam was on pins and needles the rest of the day, She literally counted off the minutes between said time and the end of the day. Needless to say, she was oh-so curious to what Danny had to say.Her anticipation of it was intense that it seemed like time was going backwards.How come time always went so damn slow when you were waiting for something?

The ninth period bell finally rang. _Finally._ She literally flew out of her seat and long-sprinted (Long-sprinted?) to her destination, which if you haven't been following, was the back staircase.

There she was. Nervously, she began to pace back and forth. Trying to put one's nerves on lock proved to be a harder than she had previously thought. Her heart was all a-flutter, she found herself wiping sweat from her brow, and she could've sworn that palms were perspiring?

Does that even **happen **to girls?

Then again, there were better question to ask at the point. Somewhere along the lines of... 'What was Danny going to say?' or 'Was it as important as he was making it hours, back?' or better yet... 'Where the heck was Danny?'

It had almost been five minutes now. Count on ol'Danny to always be late.

At a moment's notice, Danny came barrelling down the stairs. All was forgiven at that point.

"Sam?"

"I'm here Danny."

"Sorry I'm late. Lancer held me up," He groused.

"N-No problem," Sam replied quickly, her tension building back up.

"Yeah... About what I wanted to say..."

Unconsciously, she drew closer to him. Could it possibly be what she had wanted to hear for the longest time?

_If you call the longest time eight months._

Danny was beginning to lose his nerve as his best friend moved closer to him. He took a deep breath and shut his eyes.

'Here comes the Hurricane.'

"I know this is way out of left field, Sam. But what I really wanted to say was that I-I really like you. I know you don't... But I had to tell you."

_Jackpot._

Her purple eyes lit up like radiant lightning.

"Y-You like m-me?" She asked, trying to keep herself from absolutely beaming at him.

"Yeah, I do," He said, his head hung already.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know what to say. And sometimes you're all goth-y... and..."

"What about Valerie, and Paulina?"

"I didn't care about them... Well, not as half as much as I care for you," The halfa confessed. Sam looked directly into his eyes. The dimness of the back staircase made it a bit tough to see. Were those tears coming down?

"I never asked because I kinda thought you were out of my league," He continued with his back turned slightly away from her, his voice breaking throughout.

So that's all it was... a mistaken case of miscommunication.

Who knew that he had thought so highly of her?

"Well, now you know. And since you haven't said much, I guess you can..."

His defeat speech was discontinued by the goth girl, who anxiously took his hand.

"S-Sam?"

She could do this... The boy had just finished pouring his heart out to her. This is what she had waited for.

"Danny..." She paused. Her heart pounded viciously. "I-I..."

She closed her eyes for a moment. Surprisingly, an image of Tucker appeared.

_'Come onnnn, already. Spit it out, you coward.'_

"I don't think I'm out of your league," She said simply.

In full-tilt disbelief, Danny turned around to meet Sam's gaze. It looked and sounded sincere enough. At this point, he didn't know exactly what to say.

But he opened his mouth anyway. "I... uh..."

Sam pressed her index finger to her lips, effectively silencing him.

"In fact, Danny," She began, a fierce flush creeping upon her cheeks. "I've liked you for a long time."

_Once again if you call eight months, eighteen days, twelve hours, and thirty minutes (and counting) a long time..._

"Really?" Danny asked, his voice squeaky.

"Shhh," The rich girl scolded. "Yes," She whispered, the flush on her face reaching full bloom.

Daniel... er, Danny couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was he... overjoyed? Well, sort of. There was only one question left to be asked.

"What are we gonna do now?"

Well, that was the most obvious question that Sam heard in the last few weeks... With the exception of why the sky was blue. But anyway...

"I'll tell you," The black-haired teen girl said, her voice lowering to a low purr.

She grabbed hold of the nervous boy and pulled him into ardent kiss.

Both parties seemed to be energized by this embrace, because they kept going, and going, and going...Well, you get the idea. Sam was in heaven. This was a lot better than the times where they would fake it just to get out of trouble. This time, it was for real, and the goth girl couldn't be any happier for this moment. Danny was teetering on the edge of fainting from all the nervousness, but somehow, he would manage to get over it. After all, he and Sam were kissing... and it they weren't faking either! Joy upon joys!

When love was this deep, who really needed Oxygen anyway?

The embrace lingered on and on... The Manson girl would hope it would never end.

Unfortunately...

"Sam?"

"Sam?"

"Sam?"

The aforementioned girl cleared out the cobwebs. Hang on... She wasn't in the back staircase with Danny, and they weren't...

Say it ain't so.

"Sam," A certain halfa said. "The period's over... You were daydreaming."

"As usual," A certain techno-geek added, turning tables on the insults some fifty minutes ago.

Sam placed both hands on top of her head and buried her face on the desk.

That was the third time this week that she had the same daydream... When would it end?

No... Seriously, when do you think?

**_Exhibit B - Ro-Manson, Only in Dreams...

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_**

The End

S-Chrome


	2. Chapter 2

Delusional Illusions: Chapter II

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Life was unfair... Everyone knew that little fact. Well, it was more of life not being fair rather than being unfair. He was ridiculously rich, incredibly handsome for a man his age, and above all that, he had money coming out the wazoo. Like,_ wouldn't anyone love to have money coming out the wazoo?_ Adding to that, he had power the likes of which no one had ever seen. Heck, even past the ghostly powers he possessed, he was easily one of the most powerful men in Wisconsin (Which doesn't really count for much, like it or not.). But somehow, Vlad Masters wasn't even halfway satisfied with his life. The power, the looks, and the monetary gains were nothing if he didn't have anyone to share it with... and all that sentimental garbage.

He looked out of the window of his expensive mansion. He sighed bitterly as torrential raindrops pounded the terrain. His empty home was depressing, the rain was depressing, and he too, was depressed. There was only a certain something or _someone _that could bring him out of this miserable funk, and he knew that it was something that even he couldn't reach.

Maddie... He thought solemnly.

_Maddie..._ all his powers and riches couldn't make her his. He loved her so... Oh, boy-howdy, did he love her so. Back in the college years, his quiet admiration for her has blossomed into full-blown love (Not a disease). He tried to court the young lady into being his. He had all the looks, the charm, charisma, but it never helped his cause. Because, she fell in love too… and who was it that she fall for? She fell for his understudy of all people, Jack Fenton. Everyone and their grandmother knew that moron Jack didn't deserve her... Or, at least that's what the silver-maned man believed. He wasn't much for human contact these days.

It just so happened that they would go on to spawn a child who would end up being one of his tormentors to this day. His sadness slowly turned into a seething rage. Many priceless heirlooms were destroyed when he thought about matters like this.

It was one of those things that would make a grown man like himself want to jump up and down like a petulant child. All these years he spent trying to find why, why... dang it, WHY Maddie would choose Jack over him, and the only thing he would end up with is a splitting headache from thinking as hard as he did.

His quiet rage bubbled back down to sadness. He didn't feel like taking out his frustrations as Plasmius, he just didn't have the energy to do much of anything at this point. After some more pacing, the forty-something man took a seat in his trusty recliner. Maybe things would be better tomorrow. Perhaps Jack would die of cancer overnight and Maddie would come running to him. Sure, it was horrifically unrealistic, but he was rich. What was the difference between a genius and total looney, anyway? A couple of bucks usually made the difference.

He had a couple of bucks, he knew that much.

Vlad sighed wearily as he tilted the seat back and let his fatigue take him over.

A loud knock on the front door snapped Vlad out of his temporary respite. The tall man got up from his recliner and stretched wearily. He checked his watch.

_'What the Vienna Fingers? It was nearly five-in-the-morning.'_

Masters rarely had visitors. Actually, very few... OK... one or two. _All right, you pulled my leg; he had no visitors, ever_. Who would come here in this secluded area at this time of night, or in the early morning?

Another long knock at the door jarred the silver-haired man out of his thought process. It must've been still raining. A loud thunderclap proved to match his hypothesis. Whoever it was, the poor retch was probably looking for shelter of some sort. His first impulse was to ignore whoever it happened to be. Seriously, though, who actually obeys their first impulse, even though it's usually the right one? The man was curious, that's for sure.

Who knows, it may have been someone really unexpected. Letting his curiosity get the better of him, he rose up out of his chair and answered the door.

Now, Vlad Masters was a man of high stature and dignity, and... Great Scott! Look at who it was at his doorstep!

Maddie Fenton!

"Hum-Hummina," the multi-millionaire uttered. As if his disorientation and outright confusion wasn't at its peak, the brunette collapsed into his arms and began to sob softly. The man dared not to speak… and not move

"Oh, Vlad… I've just realized that I've made a terrible, terrible mistake!" She said in between loud gasps for breath.

"What mistake was that?" Vlad asked.

The ghost huntress sniffled. "You know it. I know it."

He did?

"Jack," she spat out.

Inside, Vlad could have sworn that he heard choruses and orchestras when the love of his life had uttered that lovely word. The man wanted really hard to contain his joy. It was such a good thing that he was as tall as he was, because his grin was border-line on the Hannibal Lector-scale. Aside from that, he wanted to ask his poor Maddie what made her come to this reasoning, and why she didn't come to it like... fifteen to eighteen years ago.

"You mean that after all these years you're admitting you made a mistake with Jack?"

"Yes!" She confessed, still in his arms. "I mean, he's a total idiot who pays attention to ghosts than he does his family."

Vlad shook his head above her. "I-I'm sorry to hear that."

"Even if it's the unquestioned truth," he continued under his breath.

"But the worst thing is," she paused to look into her old friend's teal eyes. "I never got a chance to see who the real one for me was, even if he was right in front of me all this time."

Was she referring to who Vlad thought that she was referring to? Because if it was who Vlad thought she was referring to, the millionaire would definitely do about… seventy-seven cartwheels by about now.

Maddie's violet, amethyst-like eyes were staring directly at him, unmoving, never wavering for the rain, the lightning, thunder, or any other force of nature that could possibly distract her. The man had never felt so nervous in his life. After nearly two decades and an admitted mistake, was Maddie actually choosing him? This was too good to be true. And if it was true, it was better than any amount of money or any dramatic Green Bay Packer victory... ever.

Well, maybe Super Bowl XXXI came narrowly close, but...this was Maddie we're talking about here!

"You're talking about me?" He asked, almost breathless from the closeness between himself and the love of his life.

She nodded her head. She nodded her head! Oh, sweet sack of scandalous scallops on a shrimp sandwich, she nodded! Whatever Vlad was feeling, it was somewhere between total bliss and a massive heart attack.

"What about Jasmine, and Daniel?" He asked breathlessly.

Why was he trying to sandbag his own happiness with that question? He quickly regretted asking the question as his lady love took on a thoughtful look, as if to surmise the question. The answer from Maddie came swiftly.

"Please, Vlad… You would make a better father than Jack could ever be," she replied, the look in her eyes told him everything he needed to know, yet Vlad, who had spent most of his years solitary and bitter, didn't know what to do at this point. It was like everything he had wished and hoped for suddenly came true.

Heck, while he was getting everything at once, he may as well go ahead and wish for Brett Favre's retirement… then again, not all miracles were feasible.

"S-so, what do we do now?" The always confident Vlad asked uneasily.

"I have an idea," the brunette suggested, a mischievous look in those royal purple orbs of hers.

Perhaps it was a combination of a lot of great things happening to him at once, but everything to Vlad had turned into a haze of happiness. He had barely heard what his Maddie had said. Although, when the forty-something woman puckered her lips in his general direction, everything had become clear as day.

Oh, he had waited for a day like this, and it was finally happening! The man had become so giddy that there was a ringing in his ears. But, to heck with the ringing, Maddie... what was her maiden name anyway? Ugh, forget that!

All he knew at the moment that his lips were rightfully upon Maddie's and for all it was worth, he wanted to stay like this for as long as could, and he tried his darnedest.

At long last, the wayward lovers broke their embrace. Vlad was at a loss for words while Maddie beamed dreamily, resting her head on the chest of the tall man.

"You're even a better kisser than Jack," she commented hazily.

Vlad subconscious yelled to him. "SCORE!"

Everything was falling into place. This was just too good to be true. The halfa still didn't know why there was a ringing in his ear, but he figured that it would go away. He had more important things to worry about… like, how quickly he could lead Maddie to his bedroom.

"M-Maddie… You don't know how happy you've made me," he gushed. His eyes nearly brimmed with joyous tears. "You…"

"Oh, Vlad Masters… say that you love me, and I'm yours forever!" She declared as dramatically as any Broadway… or off-Broadway show.

"Yes, I love you Madeline. I love…"

Words overcame him. The man couldn't let his love be known with words anymore. As quickly as he could, he wrapped his arms around the lithesome brunette and kissed her with all his might. He almost felt as if he was floating as they continued to lovingly snog each other in the middle of the doorway. Masters closed his eyes, hoping that the ringing in his ears would cease… but it just didn't. The kiss continued on as everything seemed to swirl into a haze.

Yet, the ringing continued.

"Riiiiiing."

"I love you, Maddie. Kiss"

"Be with me forever, Maddie. Kiss"

"Riiiiiing."

"Golden Grahams! What on Earth is all that…"

"Riiiiiing!"

Vlad Masters woke up in his luxurious bedroom, intent fully on what the heck was interrupting from his passionate embrace with… Maddie?

What the…

Where was Maddie?

The man's mind raced furiously. It must've been hours ago when she was at his doorstep and was professing her love. But, she should be in bed with him. And, what in the heck was…

…and then he figured out what the ringing was all about.

The silver-haired man gritted his teeth until it absolutely hurt, reached over to his nightstand, and flung his alarm clock clear across the room, making a nice dent in the wall. Undoubtedly, he had another dream of his lost love… but this one felt so freaking real...

The man hung his head low. If only he could sleep forever…

End of Chapter Two.

I feel sorry for the Vlad-man. He's got money coming out the wazoo, for God sake! What woman wouldn't want him, least of all Maddie?

Answers? Comments? Questions about why it took me a year to finish a chapter? Review!


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